Pakistan and the United States have agreed to enhance cooperation on counter-narcotics, security, and preventing illegal immigration. The agreement follows a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday between Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Acting US Ambassador Natalie Baker.
During the discussion at the Ministry of Interior, both sides focused on ways to improve intelligence sharing and curb drug trafficking. Measures to prevent unauthorized cross-border movement were also discussed. The US envoy offered full technical assistance to Pakistan in combating narcotics and managing illegal immigration.
“Our policy on illegal immigration is very clear,” Naqvi said, underlining Pakistan’s firm stance on the matter. He added that detecting drug trafficking at airports is a top priority. State-of-the-art scanning machines are being installed at major airports across Pakistan to strengthen security measures.
Highlighting the regional challenge, Naqvi reaffirmed Pakistan’s zero-tolerance policy against narcotics. “Even today, drugs originating from Afghanistan are reaching dozens of countries and destroying young generations,” he said. He welcomed US technical support to boost Pakistan’s counter-narcotics efforts.
The interior minister informed the envoy that the National Narcotics Coordination Centre would soon be established, following the prime minister’s directive. Officials also briefed on the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF)’s recent performance. This year, ANF operations led to the seizure of 134 tonnes of drugs, arrests of 2,001 suspects—including 75 foreigners—and confiscation of narcotics worth $12.797 billion.
Additionally, 110 Afghan nationals were arrested in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh. Authorities cleared 40,659 acres of land to maintain a “poppy-free” status. Acting Ambassador Baker praised the ANF’s work and emphasized that the United States values its partnership with Pakistan, promising continued cooperation across multiple sectors.
Naqvi noted that Pakistan and the United States share a crucial partnership for regional peace and stability. “We are committed to further strengthening our longstanding bilateral ties,” he said, reaffirming Pakistan’s dedication to collaboration in security and counter-narcotics initiatives.
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